Story of Bali, Indonesia

Co-operation is associated with a sense of devotion or dedication to friends, family, and village. Ngayah means not only working for the banjar but also working, for family and relatives. P or example, a friend with whom you have developed a good relationship might offer you assistance with your ceremonial preparations or help you build a house as an expression of devotion and with no expectation of reward.

Conformism (B: manut; 1: taat) is reflected in the traditional ways of doing things such as strictly following the rules of the banjar, attending traditional family ceremonies, and planting, growing, and harvesting rice. There are often good reasons for such conformity. Government introduction of a new, higher-yield rice strain brought about a change in the ecology which eventually negated the expected benefits and caused disruption by making the farmers dependent on government loans, and the use of~ expensive petrochemical fertilizers (Poffenberger and Zurbachen, 1978). Ibis caused the farmers to abandon their traditional rice storage customs, making them subject to market fluctuations and resulting in a loss of security. This experience led many farmers to switch back to the traditional methods.

The centuries-old tradition and system of paddy irrigation that ingeniously moves water from the mountains through countless paddies until it flows into the sea has been eminently efficient and productive. It is controlled by the farmers' co-operative groups and, like all matters of rice growing, is presided over by a high priest and the goddess of rice. Government attempts to improve the system were not entirely productive. A computer modeling of the traditional system proved its excellence.

Mead emphasized that Balinese follow routines of the calendar and prescribed forms of behaviour. Indeed they do: one can depend upon most of their rituals and ceremonies as much as an American can depend on the Fourth of July celebration, but there are many small variations within the general pattern. Possibly, conformity makes innovation appear to be a gradual process.

Please access this web site for more Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and all Indonesia Hotels bali-lombok-yogyakarta-jakarta-hotels.com - and Indonesian Holidays Information, hotels and travel reservation indonesia-hotels-travel-holidays.com